


love me lights out

by Lyrishark



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Bucky Is A Shoggoth, Homebrew Pathfinder Setting, M/M, No Tentacle Porn Here Sorry, This Is An Incredibly Silly Fanfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-30 23:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14507952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishark/pseuds/Lyrishark
Summary: Bughk’nnon knows the merfolk are a plague on the ocean, okay? He does. They’re too populous, and they consume too many resources, and they need to be exterminated to prepare the planet for the return of the Great Old Ones.But maybe this one can be an exception.





	love me lights out

**Author's Note:**

> so, i created my own underwater pathfinder/d&d setting, and made steve and bucky npcs, because i am not only a nerd but an intersectional nerd. this is their ridiculous self-indulgent backstory. 
> 
> title from "xo" by beyonce, for reasons which will become apparent.

Bughk’nnon is floating a few hundred feet above the reef when he sees him. The perfect mate. 

He’s small, short and so very skinny that Bughk’nnon can see each of his ribs through his skin, even through the thick scales of his tail. All the color seems to have been leeched out of this one, unlike the vibrant hues of the rest of his kind. His hair is a shimmering platinum, enormous eyes the blue of glacial ice, his skin pale and thin with visible veins. The scales of his tail are white and slightly opalescent, tapering and then flaring out into a filmy, gossamer caudal fin like a bridal veil. 

He doesn’t seem to be able to see very well, in spite of his huge, luminous eyes. As Bughk’nnon watches, his intended gently pats his fingers over a variety of plants and corals, looking for one bearing fruit. He pricks one delicate finger on an urchin, yelps, and instinctively jams it into his mouth. 

Bughk’nnon knows the merfolk are a plague on the ocean, okay? He does. They’re too populous, and they consume too many resources, and they need to be exterminated to prepare the planet for the return of the Great Old Ones. 

But maybe this one can be an exception. 

~~~ 

The third time he sees him, Bughk’nnon is feeling daring. He’s already worked out that the little guy can’t see anything at all, at least not in the well-lit areas outside of the cave where he spends most of his time. Bughk’nnon hasn’t tried to follow him in there, can’t risk being seen without developing some sort of merfolk form of his own. But he can’t develop that form without having a decent idea of what his future mate would like. To do that, he needs to get closer. 

He undulates over to where the tiny blond is picking berries. He’s wearing gloves this time. Bughk’nnon reaches out a tentacle, plucks a round fruit, and rolls it close to a reaching hand – where it’s immediately smacked away. 

“I can get it myself, asshole,” the boy says, scowling in his general direction. Bughk’nnon makes a startled and undignified warble. “What? I’m blind, not deaf. And you’re not exactly a quiet swimmer.” 

Bughk’nnon gets the impression the guy would be rolling his eyes, if he had any pupils in the pearly, unblemished orbs. Elder Gods, he’s perfect. 

“I’m sorry,” Bughk’nnon says. “I shouldn’t have assumed.” His Common is a little rusty, but hopefully serviceable. 

“That’s an interesting accent.” Shit. “You’re not one of those sea trolls, are you?” 

“I have to go,” Bughk’nnon says, already wriggling away as fast as he can. 

“Hey,” the merman calls after him, “it’s okay if you are! We can still hang out!” 

~~~ 

Bughk’nnon settles into his favorite hollow, mulling over the images he pulled from the little merman’s brain. He’s got to get this exactly right. 

It’s not uncommon to select an alternate form, to blend in more easily with the denizens of this planet. Bughk’nnon knows several of his kind that have already done it, though it’s usually left to the most intelligent of them. It’s not a simple undertaking, requires a great deal of focus, and he’s only got one shot to get it right. 

For the first time, he hesitates. What if it doesn’t come out right? What if he gets stuck that way? What if he’s not welcome anymore among the other shoggoths and shamblers and mi-gos? Is all this really worth it for a chance – and that’s all it is, a chance – with a guy who called him an asshole the first and only time they spoke? 

He thinks again of shimmering scales, of milky, translucent skin, of ribs so easily spanned by hands he doesn’t have. Yes, he decides. Yes, this is definitely worth it. 

Bughk’nnon focuses again on the images he’s trying to emulate. He can’t help but think that this is a much less attractive form than the little merman he’s familiar with, who looks so appealingly delicate and fragile. Instead, his new body is tall and powerfully built, with broad shoulders, firm muscles, and smooth tan skin. His dark brown hair floats about the sharp cut of his jaw, and the scales on his new tail are a silvery, hematite black. It doesn’t seem as aesthetically pleasing as the pearls and opals of the other boy’s coloration, but beauty is apparently in the eye of the beholder. 

(Bughk’nnon met a beholder once. She seemed nice enough.) 

He spins around a few times, patting at himself to make sure he didn’t miss anything important. Everything seems to be in order - two eyes, one mouth, no tentacles. The tail’s a little long, but he decides he likes it that way. He switches back and forth between his forms a few times just to prove he can, then immediately swims off at top speed. 

~~~ 

Steve is an idiot. He is an idiot, and a massive fuckup, and probably under some kind of curse, because the most attractive guy he’s ever seen is floating in front of him and trying to apologize for getting off to a bad start yesterday, and Steve in his infinite wisdom says: 

“So you _followed me home?”_

Which is, okay, not a totally invalid concern. But if he keeps jamming his fins in his mouth like this, he’s going to scare the guy off again, probably for good this time. 

He waves a hand through the water dismissively. “Not the point. We can talk about it later. I’m Steve.” 

The guy grins. His teeth are very sharp. “Good to meet you, Steve,” he says, and Steve notices that the unplaceable accent is already less strong than yesterday. “I’m Buk -,” he makes a noise like a clicking, vibrating whine, then frowns in consternation, as if the sound he had been trying to make didn’t quite match up. “Buck-ee.” 

Steve raises his eyebrows. “Bucky?” 

Bucky beams at him. “Yep.” 

~~~ 

“Hey, no fair!” Bucky yells from further back in the tunnel. “I’ve never been here before, slow down!” 

Steve just swims faster, propelling himself forward into the open cavern, shrieking with laughter as the long coils of Bucky’s tail snake around him and haul him backwards again. “Hey, who’s not fair now, jerk?” 

“Wow,” Bucky says, wide-eyed and clearly not listening. “It’s beautiful.” He adjusts his tail so Steve can move his arms, but doesn’t let go. 

The cavern is immense, and several degrees warmer than the rest of the cave system. Hundreds of small, gently glowing jellyfish float through the water, circling a massive central pillar that rises up into the open air. Tendrils of soft, mossy algae drip from the chamber’s ceiling and walls, extending down to the luminescent lichen that blankets the bottom. 

“This is amazing,” Bucky breathes, but then he glances sharply over at Steve. “Can you see okay in here? It doesn’t hurt your eyes too bad?” 

Steve grimaces, caught out. “It’s not too bad, honestly. Long as I don’t look directly at ‘em I’m fine.” 

“You didn’t have to –“ 

“I know,” Steve interrupts. “I know I didn’t have to, but it’s so beautiful here, and I just wanted to show you.” 

Bucky curls his tail, turning Steve to face him. “Stevie, you didn’t have to bring me here to show me something beautiful.” 

“Huh?” 

Bucky swallows audibly. “Not when I’m already looking right at the most beautiful thing I ever seen.” 

“Huh?” Steve says again, stupidly. He knows what it sounds like, but Bucky can’t possibly mean – 

The coils around Steve’s ribs squeeze gently as Bucky pulls him closer, cupping his jaw in both hands, closer and closer until their lips meet. Steve freezes for a fraction of a second, but then he’s kissing back with enthusiasm, opening to carefully explore Bucky’s mouth with his own, tongue dancing across soft lips and sharp teeth. Warmth pools low in Steve’s stomach, and his gills are fluttering hard by the time he finally pulls away, laughing. 

Bucky’s looking at him uncertainly, biting his bottom lip. His sharp teeth leave little white imprints in the soft pink skin. “What’s so funny?” he mutters, sounding defensive. 

“I can’t believe I let you kiss me with a line like that,” Steve teases, easily wriggling free of the coils of Bucky’s tail. _“Already looking right at it,_ how cheesy can you get?” He swims further into the cavern, grinning at Bucky over his shoulder. “Come up with something better next time.” 

A hopeful smile lights Bucky’s face. “Next time?” 

“Oh yeah,” Steve says, low and intent, “there’s definitely going to be a next time.” 

~~~ 

Steve might be in over his head this time. He’d heard the sounds of cruel laughter and some kind of animal squeaking repeatedly in pain, and swam over as fast as he could to chase off the bullies. But now that he’s here, it sounds like there are more of them than he’d first thought, and he can’t tell where they’re coming at him from. 

The guy’s fist collides with Steve’s face, and then all at once he's surrounded, engulfed on all sides by a sticky, writhing mass of teeth and tongues and eyes and tentacles and some sort of silky, pliant goo. 

"It’s okay," says a familiar voice. “You’re safe, Stevie. I'm not gonna let them hurt you." 

"Holy shit," Steve says. _"Bucky?"_

“Yeah, sugar.” The viscous ooze pulses around him, squeezing tight around his ribs like – well, almost like a hug. 

“Do you think you could, uh, change back? You’ve got some explaining to do.” 

The reply takes a few seconds to come, and when it does, Bucky sounds distracted. “Not right now, okay sweetheart?” 

“Bucky, are you seriously beating those guys up while I’m,” Steve swallows. “While I’m inside of you?” He can feel everything getting warmer, but he’s not sure if he’s the one blushing or if, somehow, Bucky is. 

“Oh,” one of Bucky’s mouths says ruefully, “didn’t realize you wanted them alive.” A different mouth nibbles the lobe of Steve’s ear. Something is stroking gently along his dorsal ridge, but he can’t tell what it is. 

“Bucky!” Steve bats away the encroaching – tentacle? that seems to be what it is – and swishes his tail angrily. “Stop trying to distract me, this is seriously not okay.” 

“Fine,” Bucky sighs, and then Steve’s floating freely, except for one of Bucky’s familiar hands holding his own. He can smell blood in the water, and there’s a high-pitched animal whimper coming from somewhere nearby. 

“You scared it,” he scolds. “Go make sure it’s not hurt.” 

Bucky swims away, and returns after a moment to deposit a fuzzy, squirming bundle into Steve’s arms. “It seems fine,” he says. “Just scared.” 

It’s not uncommon for the plant life around here to spontaneously evolve into higher life forms, because of the high concentration of magical energy. If Steve had to guess, he’d say this one used to be some sort of anemone. It’s maybe two feet long, plump, and covered in short, silky villi, with four stubby fins like a seal’s. As he strokes it, it makes a snuffling chirrup and nuzzles further into his arms. 

“We’re keeping it,” he decides. Bucky gives a long-suffering sigh, but he tangles his tail with Steve’s affectionately. 

~~~ 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Steve asks. He’s lying on his stomach, basking on top of the small pillar-island in what he’s come to think of as “their” cavern. He dangles his fingers and toes on the right side into the water, swishing them lazily back and forth. He doesn’t absolutely have to switch to legs to exist on land, it’s just easier this way. 

Bucky’s propped partially out of the water nearby, most of his long tail still submerged. “There wasn’t exactly a good time.” He rolls his eyes. “What was I gonna say? ‘Hey, so, actually I’m part of a different species that’s been at war with yours for millennia, are we still on for that date Friday night?’” 

A couple dozen jellies swarm nearby, enthusiastically tangling with Bucky’s fingers. Steve raises a curious eyebrow at them. 

“Cousins,” Bucky explains, “distant ones. I can’t talk to them, only the big ones are smart enough to speak Aklo, but the little guys still have a sense of it.” 

Steve flips onto his back and gives Bucky a little smack with his foot. “Anyway, yes, that’s exactly what you shoulda done. At least once you knew you were interested in a relationship.” 

Bucky turns serious eyes on him. “I’ve always been interested in a relationship. From the moment I saw you, I knew I had to make you mine. I chose this form to match with yours, so we could be together.” 

Steve levels a glare at him, unimpressed. “That’s weird, babe.” Bucky snorts. “No, I mean it, that’s not romantic, it’s kinda creepy.” 

Bucky grins sheepishly. “Worked out okay, though, right?” He looks a little uncertain. 

“Yeah, it worked out okay,” Steve says, swatting him with his foot again. Bucky grabs it, and Steve squirms as his thumb brushes the sole. Bucky freezes. 

“Oh my god,” he gasps, “you’re _ticklish.”_ He immediately grabs both Steve’s feet and starts tickling mercilessly, leaving Steve rolling back and forth, screeching with laughter. He stops after Steve nearly kicks him in the teeth, leaving him to flop backwards again, breathless. 

“So,” Bucky says slowly, “we’re cool?” 

Steve sits up and scoots over to press a kiss to Bucky’s forehead. “Yeah,” he says, “we’re cool. Don’t do it again.” 

Bucky leans up to catch Steve’s lips, but pulls away before the kiss can get too heated. He slithers a few more feet onto the island, where he promptly picks up their new pet and pitches her gently into the water. 

“Hey!” Steve protests. 

“Margarita’s fine.” They haven’t picked out a name for her yet, they’ve just been calling her something different each time. In the water, she chuffs and does a barrel roll. 

“Besides,” Bucky continues, voice lowering to a growl, “I don’t want her to watch what I’m about to do to you.” 

Steve smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu @lyrishark on tumblr for a surprising lack of shoggoths


End file.
